Historic high street butchers' brand to be revived

Defunct butchers’ brand Dewhurst has been bought by UK-start Brand Cellar, which plans to resuscitate and license the historic brand to manufacturers and distributors.

Dewhurst butchers' was founded by the Vestey family in 1897 and went on to establish itself as one of the largest high street butcher’s chains, with 1,400 UK shops at the height of its fame. It was sold by the Vestey business and later collapsed into administration in 2006.

A spokesman said that it had not ruled out the possibility of launching butchers’ shops, but that there were a range of options on the table that would enable retailers to tap into the brand’s heritage. One option would be to create a range of products with a wholesale partner, which could be distributed to the supermarkets.

The historic brand was ranked third behind Woolworths and C&A as the ‘most-missed’ high street brand in a recent You-Gov survey, with nearly 60% of people asked in Brand Cellar’s research recognised the Dewhurst name.

Andrew Harrison, group global brands director at The Brand Cellar, said: “Companies looking to expand or develop their product portfolio, or enter a new market, should take note of our research, which shows the potential value of reviving an existing brand over launching a new one.

“We believe passionately that brands have a life and a value beyond the businesses they represent, and we are determined to realise this value in the brands that we own, finding new ways to make them relevant to today’s consumers.”

The former high street butcher’s name is one of 11 brands bought by Brand Cellar, which was founded by a trio of advertising and marketing entrepreneurs, for an undisclosed sum.